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Distribution patterns of Opisthorchis viverrini within a human community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

M. R. Haswell-Elkins ,
D. B. Elkins ,
Paiboon Sithithaworn ,
Phattara Treesarawat  and
Sasithorn Kaewkes
M. R. Haswell-Elkins
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand Tropical Health Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Bramston Terrace, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
D. B. Elkins
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand Tropical Health Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Bramston Terrace, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
Paiboon Sithithaworn
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Phattara Treesarawat
Affiliation:
Tropical Health Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Bramston Terrace, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
Sasithorn Kaewkes
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Extract

This paper describes patterns of infection with Opisthorchis viverrini within a human community assessed by egg count, parasite-specific antibody levels and worm burden determined by expulsion chemotherapy. All three measurements increased significantly with age, reaching a plateau in young adults. There were no significant sex-associated differences in the prevalence or intensity of infection, antibody levels, or in the frequency of heavy worm burdens. A striking 81·5% of the total Opisthorchis population and 74% of the total egg output were expelled by the most heavily infected 10% of the humans sampled. This extreme over-dispersion, together with recent findings that hepatobiliary disease frequently accompanies heavy infections, argues that the priority for community-based parasite control programmes should be to maximize treatment and health promotion efforts toward heavily infected individuals.

Keywords

Opisthorchis viverriniworm burdenover-dispersionantibody levelsepidemiology
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 103 , Issue 1 , August 1991 , pp. 97 - 101
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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